Scandinavian Chocolate Torte

A perfect Chocolate Torte should be rich and moist, covered with a smooth Chocolate Ganache and it should scream "CHOCOLATE" at the first bite.  

Sigh. Yes, now that would be a perfect Chocolate Cake.  Oh and it should be Gluten Free and taste BETTER than any wheat based cake.


I love a baking challenge; but the pressure was on!  You see,  my son was getting married in three weeks, I had promised to bake his Wedding Cake and I still hadn't figured out the PERFECT recipe.  And then...it came to me.  I remembered eating a fantastic Chocolate Torte as a child that was made, strangely enough, without wheat flour but was made instead with, Potato Starch.  I remembered how light, delicious and full of flavor that cake was.  I decided that I would try to recreate that memory; and that's how Scandinavian Chocolate Torte was born.  When I tested it on my husband and neighbors; they loved it!  So I made ten Scandinavian Chocolate Tortes to go alongside the Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Wedding Cake. 

Everyone LOVED both cakes!  People had seconds and thirds. Some people insisted that the Scandinavian Chocolate Torte was "the best" and other people said, "No, the Carrot Cake is the best."  And some people simply enjoyed both and said that both cakes were the best they had ever eaten.  Whatever...I think you should make both cakes; invite a bunch of people over and just have some fun!


SCANDINAVIAN CHOCOLATE TORTE

Line two - 8” x 2” round cake pans with parchment paper.  Set aside.  
Preheat oven to 300°F  (Yes this is correct, 300°F!)


Chocolate Mixture 
    Melt together in a saucepan over very low heat:
       12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
     1 1/2 cups butter (3 cubes) softened
Dry Mix 
    Sift into a medium size bowl.  Mix well and set aside:
          1/3 cup cocoa
       1/3 cup cornstarch
       1/3 cup potato starch (potato starch not potato flour!)
       1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
Egg & Sugar Mix
       8 large eggs
       1 cup very fine, bakers sugar

• Separate eggs, put whites in a large, grease-free mixing bowl.  Put yolks in a small bowl and set aside. 

• Beat whites, 1 minute on high speed with an electric mixer or until thickened and puffy.
•  Slowly, pour in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time while beating on high speed until light and fluffy.

•  Turn mixer speed to medium and add egg yolks one at a time, beating just until mixed in. 
•  On low speed add the Chocolate Mixture. 
• Sift the dry ingredients in thirds over the Egg & Sugar Mixture then gently using a wire whisk, whisk gently, just until mixed.   (A whisk really is the best tool for this!)  
• Pour into prepared pan(s).

Bake approximately 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  The top will be cracked, this is normal.  Cool cakes on a wire rack.  When cooled, run a knife around the edges and loosen cakes. 

Optional:  8" cardboard cake rounds, available at craft stores, are a great thing to have when making tortes.  Place your baked cake on a cardboard round; then glaze your cake.  Easy!

Put an 8 inch cake cardboard round on top of each cake (or you can use a regular plate).  Flip the cake over and slightly “bang” the cake to loosen onto the cake round or plate.   

• I recommend freezing each individual cake.   Wrap each frozen cake layer with plastic wrap.  The cake is delicate and it is easier to wrap it when it is frozen.
• If you are not using the cake within a day, add an additional wrapping of foil to keep the cake fresh tasting.  You can bake these cakes up to two weeks ahead of time.  A frozen cake is much easier to work with; plus it eliminates almost all of the crumbs.

Cover cake with Chocolate Glaze:

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Melt together over very low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and melted: 
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate 
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy cream



If you wish you can press grated dark Chocolate along the edges.  It looks really pretty, covers up any jagged edges and adds more Chocolate!  More Chocolate is always a good thing!  
Makes two Chocolate Tortes.  Each cake serves 12.  

Note:  It's important to serve this cake at room temperature

for the best flavor and texture.  Enjoy!

Here's my niece, Alyssa, pressing grated Chocolate on the sides of one of the Wedding tortes.  I had ten Tortes to decorate so I asked Alyssa if she would help.  Boy, oh boy.  I should have had her do ALL of the cakes!  She is much neater than I am!  Alyssa has won many awards in the California State Fair for her baking.  I know you are going to hear great things from Alyssa in the future. . . stay tuned to this channel!

Whew!  

We are almost done!  

This is the final (#10) 

Gluten-Free Scandinavian Chocolate Torte!  Hooray!

  

And here are the cakes at the Wedding ~

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